Halo: The Tunnels Below
{| width="100%" style="background:transparent; " | valign="top" width="50%" style="background:black; border: 2px solid orangered; padding: .5em 1em; -moz-border-radius: 1em"| Prologue "Jasper! Sniper in the tower, eleven O' clock!" McKnight yelled out over the sounds of the mortars and gunfire. Jasper swung to his left, heavy fire still raining down upon him. He inched his way to the perfect shot but each time was sent back as the plasma shots came closer to him. "I can't get a clear shot! There's too much fire!" McKnight looked over at the covies who pinned Jasper down. Three ultra's and a five man squad of minors. He lifted Roxie onto his shoulder and began sprinting over to Jasper, firing two rockets into the squad. The rockets flew straight and true, into the heart of the brutes. Three minors and and ultra's corpse flew like rag dolls across the paved road. As McKnight began to reach the wall where Jasper sat behind, the Jackal in the tower got a shot off with his Beam Rifle which pierced McKnight's leg. He collapsed just before he got to safety. Robert started dragging himself further behind the wall as Jasper flung around and fired at the sniper. The shot missed by centimeters but was enough to make the jackal hide in the building. Turning back around he saw McKnight wrapping his leg in a piece of cloth. "You all right?" Jasper asked. Robert spoke but continued bandaging his wound. "Yeah I'll live." Finishing, McKnight peered around his side of the wall. The brutes were getting close. He turned back around and loaded two more rockets into his gun. "If you distract them, I can get a shot off and hopefully take out another of the ultra's." McKnight told Jasper. Jasper nodded. Jasper clutching his rifle flung around the edge once again and fired at the brutes. Two seconds later Robert did the same and a rocket flew at the ultra who was focusing on Jasper. The ultra turned and saw the rocket coming at him but was unable to do anything. Just then a larger brute pushed the ultra out of the way and slammed his gravity hammer into the ground. The pulse sent the rocket soaring up into the sky twirling about before exploding. "Damn!" McKnight yelled. Jasper turned back around. "We need to get out of here. There's no knowing how many more brutes are coming." McKnight agreed, but there was not many places left to go. The city was crumbling. The slab of wall they were behind was barely holding. "Any word from the rest of the squad?" McKnight asked hopefully. "None. This split up was probably not the best idea." Jasper replied. Chapter One: Dropping Into The Night Dalanar Orbit "Attention. A storm system has developed over the drop zone, so your in for a rough ride." The captain of the frigate announced walking into the pod bay. V Squad, one of the few ODST squads aboard the ship was the first set to drop. "Oh really? Maybe Jessica can finally put her hand in the pot, eh Jess?" Cpl. Bronns spoke. Jessica turned to Bronns, blushing. Her brunet hair curled up so her helmet would fit right helped to express her blush. "Fine. Twenty five grand says I touch down first." She said aloud although it was aimed at Bronns himself. Bronns eyes widened as did Jasper's. "What? Jess got your tongue?" McKnight replied walking in from the corridor. Jessica turned to face him as he approached the squad. "Anyone else in the pot?" McKnight asked the others. Both Bronns and Jasper stood silent, while Kloe stood up. "I'm not about to withdraw from a challenge. I'll match your twenty five grand, and raise you another five." Kloe responded. She and Jessica were close friends. They usually worked together against the guys when there was betting going on even though the guys knew nothing of it. "A bit much for my hand, but hey, I'll match it." McKnight said passionately. "I'm in. Match it and cash it, let's go." Jasper spoke. The captain broke their conversation. "Your dropping in five minutes, get your gear and mount up." Jasper went to attention. "Sir." He replied with a salute. The captain returned the salute and walked out. "You heard him, move like you got a purpose!" Jasper told them. "Man I love that line." Jasper laughed. Jasper was one of the many lucky marines to serve under the late Johnson. V Squad loaded themselves and their weapons into the HEV pods and were lowered below the ship. Jasper's screen lit up with Kloe present. "You ready to lose again boys?" She said happily. "You wish! I just hope you won't cry when I make all that money." Jasper replied. The night sky was a very dark blue. Below the ship, thunder clouds were clashing with each other. The clamps holding the pods to the ship let loose and one by one the pods dropped into the clouds. The pods shook heavily. "Hey, visibility is tight so watch your screens." McKnight said over the com. The pods fell further and further through the open sky. "Oh shit!" Kloe yelled. "You all right Kloe?" Jasper asked. "Damn I've been hit by a bolt! Mechanics are failing! I'm losing control!" She replied. "I can't see you. There too much cloud cover. Try the backup systems." Jasper told her. Jasper looked down at his screens. Kloe's screen was blank. He looked back up just in time to see a flaming pod soar right in front of his. "Not responding! Shit!" She said. "We're impacting in ten, try to regain control." McKnight said trying to remain calm. The pods broke free of the low storm clouds just in time to see the empty city beneath them. "Ah damn, watch out for the buildings!" Jasper spoke. The pods slammed into the streets. Jessica's pod slammed through a concrete window. Jasper hopped out of his pod and ran into the building. "You alright Jess?" Jasper yelled. He was met with no reply. He climbed two flights of stairs before entering the dust and debris filled room. As he made his way to her pod, he brushed the dust off her window. She wasn't moving. "Jess!" Jasper yelled. McKnight was outside moving the rubble away from Kloe's pod. "Jess? You there babe?" Kloe asked through her com system. She too was met with silence. Jasper pulled out a hand held device and attached it to Jessica's pod. After pressing a few buttons, the pods door blasts open. Jesse falls out and lands on her back. Jasper kneels down and taker her helmet off. He reaches his finger out and places them against the side of her neck. "She's alive! But unconscious." Jasper announced as the other two were climbing the stairs. "Well, we're going to have to wait till she wakes." McKnight tells him. Jasper looks out at the dark city and then looks back down at Jessica. Chapter Two: Trouble on the Rise Three Hours Later "The night here is so quiet." Jasper spoke. "Mmm. I bet this was one busy city back in the day. These streets were probably used 29 hours a setting. Makes you wonder how the people got used to such a long sun stage." Bronns replied. Looking up into the clearing storm, Jasper watched several bright objects falling from the sky heading east. "There's Delta. Wonder what objective they've been given." Jasper asked aloud. Bronns looked up at the pods falling towards the planet. "There's allot of them, must be their heading into the C.O.A.(Covenant Occupied Area)." Bronns replied. McKnight walked in the room. The dust had finally settled. He leaned against the wall facing the window. In front of him about twelve feet away lay Jessica, still unconscious and a sleeping Kloe next to her. Jasper turned to the two of them. "Wonder what they're dreaming... Especially at a time as this." Jasper asked. "A wraith." McKnight said quietly. Jasper and Bronns turned to look at McKnight. "I was serious." Jasper told him. "So was I. We have incoming." McKnight replied picking up his rocket launcher. Both Bronns and Jasper turned to look out the window. A wraith was making its way into the street. McKnight rushed cautiously over to a break in the wall. "Wake Kloe, but be quiet about it." McKnight whispered. Bronns peered out the window watching the wraith slowly come closer. "A wraith, with no ground support? That's odd." Jasper said crouching next to him. Kloe followed close behind. "A scout no doubt. They probably saw Delta as easily as we did." McKnight said softly. The wraith drew closer. It hovered over debris littering the streets. "We should take it out. Delta won't have much of a chance if they get caught by a wraith." Bronns spoke. "Alright. We're going to have to hit it fast and hard. Spread your shots, we don't want it to find out where we are." Jasper ordered. McKnight slowly walked out of the room and climbed the rest of the stairs to the roof. Jasper, still crouching went over and stood where McKnight had left. "Alright. When McKnight fires the first shot, give it everything you got but be careful. We want to keep the dust in our favor." Jasper announced. Bronns raised his turret and slowly placed it into the window. "McKnight, you ready?" Jasper asked. There was no reply. "McKnight?" he repeated. Still, there was no reply. Suddenly a rocket flew down and exploded. It impacted the turret of the wraith killing the brute in it. The rest of the team opened fire. The bullets came wave after wave onto the wraith. The tank began to drift and fired it's cannon at the window. "Incoming!" Jasper yelled just before he leapt out of the way. Bronns and Kloe also leaped from the mortar. It exploded just above the window and caused the upper floor to collapse and create a partial four foot wall. They ran back to the opening and continued hitting the wraith with another wave of rounds. McKnight fired another rocket and it slammed into the tank with precision. The wraith exploded and fell to the ground, it's anti gravity system destroyed. The shooting stopped. It was quiet for a minute before anyone spoke. "Good job V Squad. Target destroyed." Jasper congratulated. "Jasper! Covies comin' in for the west. We should move." McKnight said. Jasper looked out to the west. There were at least fifty ground forces and three wraith tanks headed their way. "Agreed. Let's move. Bronns, get Jessica." Jasper ordered. Bronns rushed over and lifted Jessica onto his shoulder. McKnight rushed down the stairs. "I'll grab your turret." McKnight told Bronns. He ran over and lifted the turret by the handle. They ran down the stairs and into the street. "Let's head for Delta. They might be our best chance." Jasper said. "Ready when you are Jasp." Bronns replied. "Let's hit it." spoke McKnight. They began running at a steady pace, making sure not to leave Bronns in the back. They ran for what seemed to be hours. The two suns rising helped to give it the feel of a greater time. "I need to rest." Bronns finally said. They slowed to a jog and then stopped completely. "We'll rest in the swamp." Jasper spoke. Chapter Three: A Never Ending Dream This slow sun rise was one of the longest for V Squad. The two suns seemed to give off almost no light as they hid behind the gas giants Dalanar orbited. Jessica was still unconscious and the covenant were not far behind. The stars seemed to glisten among the dark sky like beacons from heaven. Bronns broke the silence of the squad which had lasted for more than a half hour. "Do you think we are meant to be here?" he asked everyone. Kloe peered up. "What do you mean?" she replied. Bronns lifted his battle rifle onto his lap. Mud covered the end of the barrel where it had fallen into the murky water. "I mean are we as a species meant to exist?" Kloe thought long and hard about this. Jasper, who had been keeping his attention on the path was the first to answer. "If we aren't do you think we would still be here?". Kloe chuckled. Both Jasper and Bronns looked at her curiously. "Something funny?" Bronns asked. Kloe smiled and said, "Oh just something I heard a while back." McKnight walked over after scouting ahead. "We should go now. The covies are about an hour behind us." Kloe, Jasper and Bronns stood up. "What did you hear?" Bronns asked as he carefully lifted Jessica onto his shoulder. "Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak." Kloe said trying not to laugh too hard. Bronns started laughing and then Jasper started as well. McKnight decided to help the conversation along. "He who laughs last probably does not get the joke." With that everyone burst into true laughter. As they gathered their things and moved on, the jokes continued. "I am going to call my kids Ctrl, Alt and Delete. Then if they muck up I will just hit them all at once." Jasper continued. They walked for hours before seeing any signs of human life. And when they did, they wished they hadn't. Over the hill in front of them, explosions and gun fire. The group picked up the pace. As they drew closer the sounds of battle became louder and louder. Reaching the top of the hill, they lowered themselves to the ground. Before them lay a scorched field filled with corpses of several different races, weapons and destroyed vehicles. Banshees and Hawks chased one another in the dark sky, only able to identify one another by the colors of the lights emitting from their hulls. Below them Scorpions fired on Wraiths, Warthogs clashed with ghosts, prowlers and choppers. Marines and ODST's lined up behind a 4 foot wall that spread the length of the battlefield all firing at the oncoming covenant forces. "Damn would you look at that..." Kloe spoke. "That's one big covenant drop. If those covies we saw heading this way reach them before this battle is won, Delta won't stand a chance." Bronns replied. Three pelicans flew over them from the north. A M.A.S.H. unit pelican followed by two heavily armed UNSC pelicans. The M.A.S.H. pelican landed at the base and unloaded several wounded soldiers. The other two pelicans remained hovering above the ground. "This battle must have been larger than this a while ago..." Jasper spoke. Kloe looked to the north where the pelicans came from. "Yeah, so how long has this battle been going on then?" she replied. "Well, we can either think about how everything came to be or go help them win the battle." McKnight explained. Chapter Four: A Different Kind of Lonesome The four of them prepared for the distance ahead. The banshee's flying above would make the trip a whole lot more troublesome than they were hoping for. They flew left and right, constantly shifting from a ground target to an aerial one; making bombing runs and soon after becoming another's wingman. The field in front of them was large and almost always being hit by mortar fire. "Well Bronns, when we go is up to you." McKnight announced. Category:Stories Category:Snapatchu